Ball bearings — or BBs — are small, spherical projectiles typically colored white and made out of plastic.

While getting hit with an airsoft BB might not be the most pleasant experience, they’re designed to sting rather than injure.

What Are Airsoft BBs?

Airsoft BBs are the primary ammunition source for airsoft gameplay and the various airsoft gun platforms that shoot them.

Lightweight, plastic, and spherical, these BBs come in multiple sizes, weights, and types. The most common version of the airsoft BB is the 6-millimeter, 0.2-gram variant accepted on most airsoft fields.

What Are the Main Types of Airsoft BBs?

Players can choose from several different types of airsoft BBs, depending on their local field requirements and personal preferences.

Most outdoor airsoft fields require biodegradable airsoft BBs (sometimes called “bio” BBs) because they’re better for the environment. Indoor airsoft fields may not have the same requirements.

Airsoft BBs can also glow in the dark or work with a tracer unit. These tracer BBs make night games a blast, illuminating with a yellow-green glow after passing through the tracer unit. While tracer BBs can be slightly more expensive than your average bag of bio BBs, they’re well worth it if you want to add an exciting element to your gameplay.

What Are Some Airsoft BB Best Practices?

Always follow the manufacturer's guidelines regarding the proper airsoft BBs to ensure you don’t void the warranty. Misuse of airsoft BBs can result in injury or permanent damage.

Technically, you can reuse airsoft BBs that are still intact (no chips or cracks), but it’s not recommended. Airsoft BBs — especially biodegradable variants — are not necessarily made for durability. If an airsoft BB were to break apart before or after being fired, the pieces could get stuck in your airsoft gun and cause various problems, depending on where they end up.

Airsoft BBs come in various weights and sizes, but 6-millimeter 0.2-gram BBs are the most common. Players often experiment with various BB weights to achieve a certain velocity, as lighter BBs usually travel faster than heavier ones.

You should never shoot metal BBs out of an airsoft gun. Metal BBs are heavier and harder than plastic airsoft BBs, can be extremely dangerous, and are not recommended for use in most airsoft platforms.

Firing metal BBs out of your airsoft gun can cause serious damage, not only to the gun’s internals but also to anything the metal BB comes into contact with.